Should You Run Through the Pain?

Last week I gave a presentation to Together We Tri. The largest triathlon club out of Glenview Illinois. The topic of the presentation was Bone Health For Runners, where I dove into stress fractures, stress reactions, and how runners can prevent them.

I actually gave the same presentation to the Evanston Running Club earlier this year, recorded it, and posted it on YouTube. If you want to see the full presentation, here is the video link for it.

During the Q&A, one question kept coming up in different forms: How do I know if the pain I’m feeling is ok to run through?

It’s a great question. Because if you run long enough, you will feel some discomfort. But how do you know if it’s just normal running soreness…or the early signs of something serious?
How do you know if the pain you’re feeling is ok to run through?
In James Fixx’s book: The Complete Book on Running, he offers a simple, powerful guideline. I’ve typed it below and also included a picture below

“Listening to your body is something you hear a lot about when you are a runner. Let’s say your foot hurts. Should you run that day? IF you pay attention to your body, it will give a virtually infallible answer. Simply try running on it gently, enough to warm up. If your foot continues to hurt or feels worse, your body is telling you NOT to run. But if the pain diminishes, it’s probably safe to run”

The concept is simple:

• If the pain goes away as you warm up, it’s likely okay to run
• If the pain stays the same or gets worse, stop running

The hard part? Being honest with yourself about what you’re feeling and what that means you should do.

Most runners are used to pushing through discomfort. But when pain lingers or worsens, it takes real DISCIPLINE TO STOP. That single decision could be the difference between a day off…or six weeks in a boot…

So if you’re dealing with a pain that isn’t going away, or gets worse the more you run, don’t ignore it.

If you’re dealing with something like this, schedule a free discovery call with me to get started on establishing a plan to actually fix your running and avoid getting sidelined.

Your best is yet to come!

• Dr. Michael

Valiant Physical Therapy
Evanston, Illinois
Specializing in running injuries and sports rehab